Former Patriots assistant names challenge Tom Brady faces as broadcaster

Former New England Patriots assistant coach and current NFL analyst Michael Lombardi explained during an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" what Tom Brady must do to excel as Fox's lead in-game analyst this coming season. 

"I think a lot of it is going to come down to how he presents it," Lombardi said, as shared by Tim Crowley of NESN. "The challenge for anyone is to have a lot of information and present it in a condensed fashion quickly. Especially in between the time and the huddle and the ball [being] snapped. That’s where Tom’s going to have to gain his energy and intellect and condense it very quickly." 

Brady and Fox agreed to a 10-year deal reportedly worth $375M for the seven-time Super Bowl champion to replace popular analyst Greg Olsen in Fox's No. 1 booth. While Brady retired from playing "for good" in February 2023, he took a gap year away from the NFL and spent portions of last season preparing for the Fox gig. 

Opinions have been mixed regarding what Brady will and/or won't be when he makes his regular-season announcing debut working this September's Week 1 game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns. Sports radio icon Mike Francesa doesn't believe Brady has the right "personality" to inform and entertain viewers. Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce and retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce are among those who disagree with such takes. 

The Athletic's Richard Deitsch noted that Fox landed an exclusive national Sunday afternoon window with no CBS competition for Brady's debut. Deitsch added that Brady "will need to be insightful in Week 1 and avoid any major mistakes" to prevent fans from missing Olsen on Sept. 8. 

To his credit, Brady often spoke openly and honestly about football-related matters during his Tampa Bay Buccaneers tenure that ran from 2020 through the 2022 season. Earlier this week, he seemed to take a little shot at Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott during a Fox event.   

Over the years, Brady has publicly discussed other players and NFL storylines via radio segments that aired before and during halftimes of "Monday Night Football" games and for his SiriusXM "Let's Go!" program. 

He may never again take a meaningful snap as an active NFL player, but it seems he'll remain one of the sport's biggest names throughout the fall as people tune in to follow the next step of his football journey.